Northern Ireland police say attack would have caused mass casualties

Updated
March 05, 2013 06:37:00

Police in Northern Ireland say they stopped a van in Londonderry minutes before it was to be used to carry out a deadly attack. The van was carrying four live mortars, and part of its roof had been cut away to allow them to be fired. Three men are in custody.

TIM PALMER: Police in Northern Ireland say mortar bombs were found in the back of a van in Londonderry only minutes before they were to be launched.

They say if the attack had gone ahead there is no doubt there would have been mass casualties.

The British government says the foiled attack is a disturbing reminder that factions still intent on derailing the peace process remain active in Northern Ireland.

Europe correspondent Barbara Miller reports.

BARBARA MILLER: It was an extremely close-run thing. Northern Ireland police say there's no doubt dissident republicans came very close to carrying out a major attack.

Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin:

STEPHEN CARGIN: Just after 8:15 last night, my officers intercepted a white van, and once we looked at the van we found four live mortar bombs primed and ready to go.

The roof of the van had been cut out and the deadly mortars were positioned ready to fire.

We believe that those devices were actually destined for one of my police stations, which were basically within a few minutes' drive from Letterkenny Road.

BARBARA MILLER: Police say if that attack had gone ahead, the consequences would have been disastrous.

STEPHEN CARGIN: I have no doubt that they would have caused mass casualties and we could have been looking at mass murder today.

BARBARA MILLER: In these times of relative peace, it's highly unusual for residents of Derry to be woken in the night by a police operation.

Around 100 families were asked to leave their homes as bomb disposal experts moved in.

Two men in their thirties were arrested at the scene. One was driving the van, the other following on a motorcycle. A third man has since been arrested at a house.

The British government has condemned those behind the foiled attack.

Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers:

THERESA VILLIERS: It's a very grim reminder about how serious the threat from terrorism in Northern Ireland continues to be. It was a disgraceful attack which thankfully has been foiled by effective police action.

BARBARA MILLER: There's been an increase in activity by dissident republican groups in recent months.

Jonathan Moore, a Lecturer in Irish History and Politics at London Metropolitan University, says the good news is that police intelligence appears to be improving.

JONATHAN MOORE: The police service of Northern Ireland is acceptable in nationalist areas to a degree - it's not totally acceptable but it's much more acceptable than the old Royal Ulster Constabulary were - therefore they're getting information from the community and therefore they are able to cut these off.

BARBARA MILLER: Ireland - Northern Ireland - is supposed to be hosting the G8 summit in a few months' time and presumably these groups, if they had the ability, would be trying to ramp up activities ahead of that planned G8 meeting.

JONATHAN MOORE: You would expect so. What these dissidents are trying to say is this is not a normal part of the United Kingdom, this is a place where there is a conflict still going on. If they could get the G8 conference called off they would regard that as a major success.

BARBARA MILLER: That would be bad news for many in Northern Ireland, which could badly do with the investment it's hoped the G8 summit could generate.